No Way Out
by christinaxa
Summary: One final operation. The enemies had slipped away from Kono's grip before, and she was going to make sure it didn't happen again.


**A/N: Hawaii Five-0 doesn't belong to me. Even though I wish it did. Sigh.**

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><p>The first year after her joining had become somewhat of a blur. Five-0 was definitely the holy grail of law enforcement and Kono won't complain at being given this opportunity, but at the same time there were many downsides. Being part of a high profile team meant that inevitably there would be some kind of angry criminal after them, making it necessary to be on her toes 247. It gradually became evident that even HQ wasn't a safe haven for them, if Sang Min's casual walk-in and Laura Hills' death outside had taught them anything. Being forced to experience these things made Kono grow up fast. She realized that she would always have to be quick on her feet, no matter where she was. But sometimes, she thought things through a little too quickly and acted on impulse without sparing a thought of the consequences.

Which is exactly how Kono found herself in the current situation: alone in enemy territory with only her weapon at her side, and no one to back her up. The room she tracked the perps down to was wide; the setting sun streaming through the windows high up on the wall, casting a dark yellow and orange glow around the room, making it the only source of light present. Instinct and training kicked in; she quickly found the best vantage point and ran to it as quietly as possibly. Once she reached it she ducked down and pulled out her phone and called Steve. Danny and Chin were still on the other side of the island, making their way to her but she knew they wouldn't make it in time. Steve knew the building she was in, but with the amount of rooms present, walking in without knowing her exact location could blow the entire operation.

"Kono, where are you?" He asked as he picked up the phone. She could hear tightness in his voice and the sounds of the speeding car in the background.

"North entrance. Door's ajar and I'm around the northeast corner," she whispered.

"Alright, stay put and _don't move_. I'll be there in ten minutes." And he hung up.

Kono put her phone away and glanced around the corner; still no sounds or signs of movement. The room was completely silent again and for a second she briefly wondered whether or not she was in the right place. Thinking back, she realized that there were no other open areas nearby, only locked ones. There was no doubt they were in this room, and she was willing to bet that they thought they lost her. They were smart and fast, she'll give them that, but the the time for games was over. Five-0 had been tracking the pair for weeks, and finally she had them cornered. Well, at least she does at the moment. She inwardly kicked herself for jumping into action without backup. In her rush she once again forgot about the consequences.

After what seemed like hours, Steve managed to quickly make his way into the building, stealthily creep up to her location and kneeled down beside her. She was relieved to see him, but even having the intense former Navy SEAL next to her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. Kono knew the enemy was fast. She thought back to half an hour ago; she was still in the first room when she heard the unmistakable sounds running past her as her back was turned. How could she have missed that? Would the two of them working together really ensure that they won't lose them again?

"Kono," Steve's low voice cut through her thoughts, startling her.

"What?" She whispered, turning her head slightly face him.

"We can't delay this any more... this is our only chance. We need to move _now_. If they aren't going to show themselves then we have to."

"What are you talking about, you've only been here five minutes! We've been after them for weeks and you just want to bust in hard and see how it goes?" Kono whispered angrily. She couldn't explain it but this case has hit her particularly hard; it had affected her work so much, knowing that they were still on the loose. The very fact that they have slipped out of her grip before, when she had been so close, pissed her off and she promised herself that it would never happen again. Of course, today fate decides to hand her the most impatient person as backup, who was now dangerously close to screwing it all up.

"I know how much this means to you, but you've seen how quick they are," he replied, glancing around the corner before bringing his gaze back up to her. "If we don't move now we'll lose the chance for the upper hand. You know that. We can scare them enough to give themselves away."

Kono glared at him, but realized with a sinking heart that he was right. This case has affected her enough and she needed to listen to someone who was thinking straight. Even though Steve could be incredibly stubborn, she couldn't deny that his judgments were usually on point.

"Fine," she sighed. "What's the plan?"

Steve smiled slightly at her. He knew she could be stubborn when she wanted, but he could see that her resolve was breaking down as the days went by with the enemies still at large. He was glad that she gave in relatively quickly; he knew how to finish this off now that they had them cornered. Perhaps it would help bring the old Kono.

"I'll set the distractions, it should be enough to draw them out. Once they are in sight, take them down." He explained quickly.

Kono nodded, and before she could say anything else Steve ran out from behind the corner, hitting every surface he could find with his hands. The loud sounds of flesh on metal coupled with his shouts echoed around the large room. She slowly crawled out, gripping her weapon hard with both hands and searching for signs of movement. When Steve moved towards the far end of the room and the echoing noises faded, she heard the unmistakable movement coming from her left. She froze, trying to determine their exact location. It was definitely coming from behind the row of metal storages. Kono quickly moved to the end and peered around the corner. Her eyes glinted with triumph as she realized she had them trapped between the storages and the wall. They were facing away from her, looking like they were trying to figure out their next move. Kono quietly inched closer, _and closer,_ then slammed her weapon down on the ground around them.

The rectangular see-through plastic box surrounded the two white mice, who startled and frantically ran around in the box, trying to escape. Kono grinned to herself, before shouting "Boss! I got them. Give me a hand!"

Steve rounded the corner and saw Kono squatting on the ground, both hands on top of the box effectively trapping the furry creatures. He laughed out loud and gave her a high-five before helping her flip the box and secure the lid as they made their way out of the locker room. Steve pulled out his phone to alert the owner that the mice had been found. Halfway to the smart table, Danny and Chin came running in, only slowing down when they saw the box with the mice in Kono's arms. They grinned at her, asking how she pulled it off this time. In the middle of her explanation, Max burst through the doors with the biggest smile on his face.

"Kono! You found Bonnie and Clyde! I can't thank you enough! I'm so sorry they got out of my office... I don't know how... I know you've..." he started rambling as Kono handed him the box.

Her eyes twinkled as she laughed and told him not to worry about it.

"Thank you so much again Kono... beers are on me!" Max stated as the group made their way out of HQ. "I'm so glad you are the one who found them. I don't know what I would have done if Danny's idea of setting traps around HQ was approved." He glared at Danny who started arguing back.

Kono and Steve walked behind the three of them and just shook their heads, silently hoping Max kept his mice on firm lockdown from now on. They weren't sure they would be able to handle another case that toyed with their minds like this; especially not Kono. She's had enough of chasing animals for a lifetime.

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><p>The End.<p> 


End file.
